Hey there, basketball fans! The Golden State Warriors stirred up the NBA with their jaw-dropping trade for Chris Paul.

But one burning question remains: Who's gonna be in the starting lineup?

The Unthinkable Trade

Picture this: a championship-winning lineup of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney.

They clicked like a perfectly tuned orchestra, winning an NBA title in 2022.

But then they threw a curveball by bringing in Chris Paul, a seasoned player who's never sat on the bench in his entire career.

And Chris, well, he wasn't thrilled about the idea of riding the pine.

Dodging the Dilemma? Not Anymore

My initial thought was that the Warriors might dodge this tricky dilemma.

I imagined they'd take a page out of baseball's playbook and have a rotating starting lineup of six players.

That way, everyone gets their chance, tensions stay low, and the team stays healthy.

Come playoff time, Coach Steve Kerr would know his A-team like the back of his hand.

The Curveball: New Rules

But guess what? That's not an option anymore.

The NBA is planning to tighten the screws on load management, especially for "star" players.

That includes Curry, Paul, Green, and Wiggins (but not Thompson).

So, unless they're nursing an injury, the Warriors will need to play their top guns quite a bit.

That means having a fixed starting lineup.

The Lineup Riddle

Now, let's break down the possibilities. One option is to bring Chris Paul off the bench to lead the second unit – a solid move.

Another idea is sliding Wiggins or Thompson into a sixth-man role, but we all know they won't do that with Klay, the scoring maestro.

Most Likely Scenario

In my view, the most likely move is Kevon Looney getting benched.

The Warriors have a rich history of success with small lineups, and Chris Paul fits this style like a glove.

He brings defense, shooting, and playmaking to the table. Even with some of his speed fading, Paul is still a wizard in transition.

Going Small

Sure, the Warriors have usually kept their small lineups for the playoffs to save Draymond Green's energy.

But they'll have to play Green at center for 8-16 minutes in every game now.

So, why not start strong with Green in the middle for the first few minutes?

It's like starting a race with your best sprinter – you get ahead of the pack and then bring in Looney for the next leg.

Final Buzzer

So, if Coach Kerr hoped to sidestep the headache of picking a starting lineup, those new NBA rules will likely put an end to that dream.

The Warriors are gearing up for a season of change, and we're all eager to see how they handle this intriguing puzzle as they aim for more glory in the league.

Stay tuned, folks!